Serves 8

I have divided this recipe into 4 Sections:

  1. The meat (cooked in oven or pressure cooker)
  2. The orzo
  3. Finishing the dish and Serving!

1. For the meat component you need

2 kg beef brisket
Salt and black pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
about 8 whole cardamom pods, lightly bashed with the flat of a knife
2 small cinnamon sticks                                                                                                                                                                                                                                20ml fennel seeds, lightly crushed                                                                                                                                                                                                                  20ml tomato paste
500ml red wine
100ml red-wine vinegar                                                                                                                                                                                                                              250ml good quality beef stock, for pressure cooker, and an extra litre for oven cooking

To prepare the brisket

Oven:

Heat the oven to 160C

Sprinkle the brisket on both sides with a teaspoon salt and set aside.

Put a large pan for which you have a lid on a medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of oil and, once hot, add the brisket. Sear for 10 minutes, turning halfway through so it browns all over, then remove from the pan and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, tip in the onion and fry on a medium-high heat for six to seven minutes, stirring a few times, until soft and golden. Add the spices, stir for a minute, then add the tomato paste and cook for minute more. Pour in the wine and stock, and cook on a medium-high heat for five minutes. Return the meat to the pan and enough stock just to cover (you’ll need about a litre and a half), bring to a boil, cover first with a circle of parchment paper and then the lid or foil, and transfer to the oven. Cook for four hours, until the meat can be easily pulled apart but is still holding its shape. Carefully lift out the meat into a large bowl and set aside.

For pressure cooking:

I cut the 2kg brisket into 8 pieces, to fit the pressure cooker. Set the pressure cooker to ‘sear’, add a tablespoon of oil and, once hot, add the brisket. Sear for 10 minutes, turning halfway through so it browns all over, then remove from the pan and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of oil , tip in the onion and fry on a medium-high heat for six to seven minutes, stirring a few times, until soft and golden. Add the spices, stir for a minute, then add the tomato paste and cook for minute more. Pour in the wine and stock. Return the meat to the pot and enough stock just to cover, the meat. Place the lid on and set the timer for 40 minutes on high pressure. The meat must be easily pulled apart but is still hold its shape. If need be cook for a further 10 minutes on high pressure, or until the meat is tender. Carefully lift out the meat into a large bowl and set aside.

To finish the meat

Strain the liquid, discarding the whole spices, then measure out 300ml of the cooking liquor into a jug and tip the rest back into the pan. Put the pan/pressure cooker on a high/simmer heat, with the lid off and boil for roughly 30 minutes, until you have 300ml of thick sauce left. Remove from the heat, return the brisket to the pot, cover and set aside somewhere warm.

2. To make the fennel orzo you need

2 tbsp olive or  canola oil
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium fennel, trimmed and cut into 1cm dice
1 tbsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
300g orzo (orzo is rice shaped dried pasta used in Greek and Middle Eastern cooking) If you cannot find orzo you can use rice or a good quality small pasta)
30g parsley leaves, roughly chopped

To prepare

In a large sauté pan for which you have a lid, heat the oil on a medium-high flame.

Once hot, add the onion, fennel, fennel seeds, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. Fry for 12 minutes, stirring every once in a while, until the vegetables are soft and caramelised.

Stir in the orzo, the jug of reserved stock and 300ml water, lower the heat, cover and leave to simmer for 12 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the orzo is cooked through but still has a little bite (some brands of orzo take longer to cook and need more liquid, so if yours is still uncooked after 12 minutes, you may need to add up to 150ml or so of water and cook for a further 10 minutes).

Remove from the heat and stir through the parsley.

3. To finish and serve

You need to make orange gremolata

20g parsley leaves, roughly chopped
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed

To finish

Carve the brisket and divide between the plates, then pile up the orzo alongside. Pour the sauce on top, sprinkle with parsley, orange zest and garlic, and serve.

Or place orzo on a large platter and place the carved meat, sauce and herb-zest mix on top for people to help themselves.

Serve with a plain green vegetable such as sautéed green beans.